Sadly, even if you rustle up the requisite sugar skull candy, you really can't fully replicate a genuine Dia de los Muertos — a mash up of ancient Aztec traditions and Catholic rituals — on Nov. 2.

Diane Galacia, a Philadelphian who works in Camden, N.J., said many Mexican-Americans don't bother to celebrate because they cannot readily find many of the important elements that form the rituals of the holiday. Her co-worker agreed.

"I've been here 20 years and I don't do anything," said Nancy Alvarez, a Mexican-American who works at El Rio Bravo in Camden. "It is a big thing in my country."

Goosebumps covered her forearms as she spoke. Her grandfather, who is buried in Mexico, was born on Nov. 2, but for a number of reasons she cannot honor him in a traditional way on the day he shares with Day of the Dead.

"In Mexico, it is a big holiday, everyone is off on Nov. 2. You can't do that here," Alvarez said.

And while there are pieces of the holiday that have traveled well with Mexican-Americans — sugar skulls, skeleton-decorated candles — other elements of the holiday are difficult or impossible to recreate.

While the holiday may be called day of the dead, the celebration — and keep in mind that's what it is, a happy celebration of departed loved ones, in contrast to the solemn All Souls Day it shares the day with — Dia de los Muertos really lasts three days and begins on the evening of Halloween.

Visiting gravesites creates an unexpected issue that Alvarez and others pointed out: Many newly arrived and even first-generation Mexican-Americans have their bodies shipped back to Mexico for burial, making a traditional cemetery visit impossible.

When families do visit cemeteries, one of the first things they do after cleaning up is to place Day of the Dead flowers. Known in Spanish as cempasúchil and more widely known as marigolds, the scent of the flowers are thought to guide the departed back to earth and contact with their loved ones.

Marigolds in particular are used because they held an important meaning in the Aztec culture. They are thought to have magical, medicinal and spiritual attributes. Sometimes they are scattered, sometimes made into intricate arrangements.

Decorations often also start with candles bearing religious icons and skeletons. Candles are helpful since families often spend the night at their loved one's grave, an activity typically not allowed at a New Jersey cemetery.

Cecilia Humphrey, director of the Mexican Cultural Center in Philadelphia, said that while some other Latin American countries have a similar holiday on Nov. 2, none of the other countries celebrations are as elaborate as they are in Mexico.

She also said the tradition is not as strong in some of Mexico's states as others, with Day of the Dead celebrated most vigorously in the central and southern states where the Aztec influence was strongest. Details of the celebration vary by state and even city, too, she said.

Nancy Alvarez, who works at El Rio Bravo in Camden, N.J., displays a sugar skull made for Day of the Dead.(Photo: Gannett/(Cherry Hill, N.J.) Courier-Post)

For instance, Levi Guerrero, 48, who grew up in Princeton, moved to New Jersey from the state of Oaxaca, far in the south of Mexico, when he was just 6. One of the rituals there, where headstones often are fashioned from concrete, is painting the markers bright colors, usually with symbols of significance to the dead person.

"I remember staying one or two nights in the cemetery with my family and my mom. It is remembering good times with loved ones who have passed away. The dead come to visit their families, to eat and drink with them, and then go back," he said.

"I don't ever remember anyone being sad," during the celebration, said Guerrero.

With all of his family buried back in Mexico, the tradition diminished and eventually died. But after years of yearning, he revived the tradition as best he could this past Saturday, throwing a party.

"I thought about doing it for years, but I got caught up in Halloween. I did a party so I could explain" the customs of the day to his friends, he said. He had about 40 guests; just seven were Mexican-Americans familiar with the holiday.

He had to drive to New Brunswick, where there is a large Mexican-American population, in order to get special Day of the Dead bread — a sweet soft bread with boney decorations — and the flowers.

He put up an altar in his home to honor dead relatives. He also served tamales, a food his relatives liked during their lifetime.

"For Mexicans, death is something good, not bad. We say death is like waking up, we are not afraid of death, we embrace it," said Guerrero.

How to celebrate the Day of the Dead

Build an altar. Decorate with candles, blowers, a framed picture of your dead loved one. Add reminders of your loved one and put out food and drink he or she liked. Tell stories about the loved one around the altar and have young family members introduce themselves. Leave out salt. Burn an incense known as copal.

Visit the graves of your loved ones. Clean and decorate with trinkets, flowers and candies. Bring toys for children. Alcohol is a common offering for adults.

Set out pillows and blankets at home. The belief is the dead can rest after their journey to be with you.

Make food offerings. Leave out favorite foods in your home. It's believed that the dead will eat the "spiritual essence.'' You can eat what remains. Sugar skulls and special bread are part of the setting.

Prepare a special dinner. A plate is set for every person whose memory you honor. Include favorite dishes of the dead. Tamales, Jarritos-brand soda and Lola, a drinkable yogurt, are popular with Mexican-Americans.

Welcome the dead and celebrate. Eat, dance, tell stories about the departed — and have fun.